Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-nr4z6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-02T16:06:23.944Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Electrochemotherapy for the palliative management of non-skin-origin head and neck cancer: case series and UK national survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 October 2021

C McCaffer Open the ORCID record for C McCaffer [Opens in a new window] ,
B Y W Wong ,
C S Murugan ,
T Muir  and
S Lester
C McCaffer*
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK
B Y W Wong
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK
C S Murugan
Affiliation:
Department of Plastic Surgery, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK
T Muir
Affiliation:
Department of Plastic Surgery, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK
S Lester
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Mr Craig McCaffer, Department of ENT, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK E-mail: cmccaffer@nhs.net
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives

Electrochemotherapy uses electric fields to facilitate the influx of chemotherapy into cancer cells, producing a targeted effect. For head and neck cancer, it is mainly used for palliation of non-skin-origin metastases. It is used infrequently in the UK. This paper presents our experience and a UK survey to identify its frequency of use.

Methods

Between 2016 and 2019, a prospective database was created and reviewed. Only patients with non-skin-origin metastatic head and neck cancer, with no other palliative options, were included. Survival length, complications and symptomatic benefit were assessed. The survey was conducted via e-mail.

Results

Five patients were included: three with squamous cell carcinoma, one with esthesioneuroblastoma and one with hepatocellular carcinoma. Survival ranged from 1 month to over 20 months. Minor complications were seen. Only 15 out of 69 UK head and neck multidisciplinary teams offer electrochemotherapy.

Conclusion

Electrochemotherapy is a well-tolerated adjunct to standard palliation of metastatic head and neck cancer, and is offered by a limited number of UK multidisciplinary teams.

Keywords

ElectrochemotherapyHead And Neck NeoplasmPalliative Care
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 136 , Issue 3 , March 2022 , pp. 256 - 260
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Mr C McCaffer takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

References

Jemal, A, Bray, F, Center, MM, Ferlay, J, Ward, E, Forman, D. Global cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin 2011;61:69–90CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pulte, D, Brenner, H. Changes in survival in head and neck cancers in the late 20th and early 21st century: a period analysis. Oncologist 2010;15:994–1001CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Virgilio, A, Ralli, M, Longo, L, Mancini, P, Attanasio, G, Atturo, F et al. Electrochemotherapy in head and neck cancer: a review of an emerging cancer treatment. Oncol Lett 2018;16:3415–23Google ScholarPubMed
Campana, LG, Testori, A, Curatolo, P, Quaglino, P, Mocellin, S, Framarini, M et al. Treatment efficacy with electrochemotherapy: a multi-institutional prospective observational study on 376 patients with superficial tumors. Eur J Surg Oncol 2016;42:1914–23CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mir, LM, Orlowski, S, Belehradek, J Jr, Paoletti, C. Electrochemotherapy potentiation of antitumour effect of bleomycin by local electric pulses. Eur J Cancer 1991;27:68–72CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gothelf, A, Mir, LM, Gehl, J. Electrochemotherapy: results of cancer treatment using enhanced delivery of bleomycin by electroporation. Cancer Treat Rev 2003;29:371–87CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Plaschke, CC, Gothelf, A, Gehl, J, Wessel, I. Electrochemotherapy of mucosal head and neck tumors: a systematic review. Acta Oncol 2016;55:1266–72CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sersa, G, Cemazar, M, Rudolf, Z. Electrochemotherapy: advantages and drawbacks in treatment of cancer patients. Cancer Ther 2003;1:133–42Google Scholar
Mir, LM, Gehl, J, Sersa, G, Collins, CG, Garbay, JR, Billard, V et al. Standard operating procedures of the electrochemotherapy: instructions for the use of bleomycin or cisplatin administered either systemically or locally and electric pulses delivered by the CliniporatorTM by means of invasive or non-invasive electrodes. Eur J Cancer 2006;4(suppl 11):14–25CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gehl, J, Sersa, G, Matthiessen, LW, Muir, T, Soden, D, Occhini, A et al. Updated standard operating procedures for electrochemotherapy of cutaneous tumours and skin metastases. Acta Oncol 2018;57:874–82CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Electrochemotherapy for metastases in the skin from tumours of non-skin origin and melanoma: Interventional procedures guidance [IPG446]. In: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/IPG446 [11 July 2019]Google Scholar
Plaschke, CC, Johannesen, HH, Hansen, RH, Hendel, HW, Kiss, K, Gehl, J et al. The DAHANCA 32 study: electrochemotherapy for recurrent mucosal head and neck cancer. Head Neck 2019;41:329–39Google ScholarPubMed
Plaschke, CC, Bertino, G, McCaul, JA, Grau, JJ, de Bree, R, Sersa, G et al. European Research on Electrochemotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer (EURECA) project: results from the treatment of mucosal cancers. Eur J Cancer 2017;87:172–81CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marty, M, Sersa, G, Garbay, JR, Gehl, J, Collins, CG, Snoj, M et al. Electrochemotherapy – an easy, highly effective and safe treatment of cutaneous and subcutaneous metastases: results of ESOPE (European Standard Operating Procedures of Electrochemotherapy) study. Eur J Cancer 2006;4(suppl 11):3–13CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lenzi, R, Muscatello, L, Saibene, AM, Felisati, G, Pipolo, C. The controversial role of electrochemotherapy in head and neck cancer: a systematic review of the literature. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2017;274:2389–94CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paleri, V, Roland, N, eds. Head and neck cancer: United Kingdom national multidisciplinary guidelines. J Laryngol Otol 2016;130(suppl 2)Google ScholarPubMed